Oswaldo Aranha was a Brazilian politician and diplomat who was involved in important events in Brazilian history. He was born into an important family in Rio Grande do Sul, graduated in Law, and became involved in the politics of his state in his youth, supporting politician Borges de Medeiros.
He was close to Getúlio Vargas, supported the 1930 Revolution and Vargas' rise to power. He worked in different ministries of the Vargas government and was Brazil's ambassador to the United States. He chaired the Brazilian commission and was one of those responsible for leading the partition of Palestine and the creation of Israel.
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Summary about Oswaldo Aranha
Oswaldo Aranha was a Brazilian politician and diplomat.
He was born in Alegrete, Rio Grande do Sul, belonging to a traditional local family.
In the 1920s, he became involved in an armed conflict in defense of Borges de Medeiros.
Supported the candidacy by Getúlio Vargas and participated in the 1930 Revolution.
He presided over the UN Assembly responsible for the creation of Israel.
Biography of Oswaldo Aranha
Oswaldo Euclides de Sousa Aranha was born on February 15, 1894, originally from Alegrete, a city very close to the border of Rio Grande do Sul with Uruguay and Argentina. He was the son of colonel and rancher Euclides Egídio de Sousa Aranha and Luísa de Freitas Vale Aranha.
He was the couple's second son and was part of a politically traditional family in Rio Grande do Sul. In 1908, he entered the Military College in the city of Rio de Janeiro, completing his studies in 1911. Next year, entered the Faculty of Law, also in Rio de Janeiro.
He briefly interrupted his studies for a trip to Europe that was interrupted by the start of the First World War and ended up finishing his course in 1916. Between 1917 and 1923, worked as a lawyer in Rio Grande do Sul, and, in 1923, he participated in a political conflict in his state. He fought in the defense of Borges de Medeiros, then president of the state, in the fight against the supporters of Assis Brasil.
He took over as deputy chief of police in Alegrete and worked in the repression of lieutenant revolts in Rio Grande do Sul between 1924 and 1926. During this period he was promoted to the position of intendant (mayor) of Alegrete.
Oswaldo Aranha in Brazilian politics
In 1927 he was elected to the position of federal deputy and, the following year, he was appointed Secretary of the Interior and Justice of Rio Grande do Sul. Because he was very close to Getúlio Vargas, he supported the creation of the Liberal Alliance, the ticket that launched Vargas' candidacy for president of Brazil in the 1930 election.
Vargas' defeat to Júlio Prestes caused Oswaldo Aranha to join à most radical wing of the Liberal Alliance, starting to defend an armed uprising to overthrow President Washington Luís and prevent Prestes from taking office. With the victory of the armed uprising of the Liberal Alliance, Oswaldo Aranha defended that the presidency be handed over to Vargas.
He provisionally assumed the government of Rio Grande do Sul, being appointed by Vargas. He was later appointed to the Ministry of Justice, remaining in the role between 1930 and 1931. After, he took over the Ministry of Finance, remaining from 1931 to 1934. After leaving the ministry, He was Brazilian ambassador to the United States between 1934 and 1938.
During the Estado Novo, Oswaldo Aranha assumed the position of minister of foreign affairs, a position he held between 1938 and 1944. During this period, he was one of the great defenders of Brazil's rapprochement with the United States in the context of the Second World War. In 1944, retired from public life due to disagreements with Getúlio Vargas regarding the authoritarianism with which it led Brazil during the New State.
Between 1944 and 1947, he dedicated himself to law and business work, and, with the fall of Vargas, supported the candidacy of Eduardo Gomes, candidate for the National Democratic Union (UDN), in the election of 1945. In the 1950s, he served in Vargas' second government. He passed away in 1960, in Rio de Janeiro.
Oswaldo Aranha at the UN
In February 1947, he was appointed by the government of Eurico Dutra to head the Brazilian delegation in United Nations Organization. Oswaldo Aranha presided over the II UN General Assembly and led one of the most important debates of the time: the dispute over Palestine between Palestinian Jews and Arabs.
Oswaldo Aranha and the creation of Israel
In 1948, the British mandate in Palestine ended, and tension between Arabs and Jews in the region increased exponentially. The solution to the conflict in Palestine was, therefore, essential for the newly created UN. Oswaldo Aranha chaired the session that debated the issue of dividing Palestine, establishing a two-state solution.
The division of the territory so that Palestinians and Jews could form their national states was put to a vote, being approved through Resolution 181. Oswaldo Aranha played an important diplomatic role, negotiating with several delegations the issue of dividing the Palestinian territory.
He had a good relationship with Jews, especially in the United States, and worked directly to guarantee the division of the territory. The approval of the UN resolution allowed the State of Israel to be created the following year, in 1948. The approval of the resolution obviously had the support of Brazil.
Read more: Palestine Question — movement of Palestinians in search of the creation of a State
Tributes to Oswaldo Aranha
Oswaldo Aranha's work in creating the State of Israel and his role at the head of the UN Assembly were considered very important. From then on, a tradition was established in honor of the Brazilian diplomat: Brazil always opensará speeches at the UN General Assembly.
Furthermore, there are street names in honor of Oswaldo Aranha in Tel-Aviv, the capital of Israel, and in Beersheba. There is also a street in honor of Oswaldo Aranha in Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul. More recently, he had his name added to the Book of Heróis and Hheroines of Patrium, a memorial to significant personalities in Brazilian history.
Oswaldo Aranha Fillet
An unusual tribute to Oswaldo Aranha is the name of a typical dish from Rio de Janeiro. In the 1930s, the diplomat lived in Rio de Janeiro and frequented Lapa, especially a restaurant called Cosmopolita. There he had the habit of eating a dish made with filet mignon. His habit of frequently ordering this order led to the dish being called filet à Oswaldo Aranha.
Legacy of Oswaldo Aranha
Oswaldo Aranha's work left some legacies for Brazil:
He projected Brazil internationally in international relations.
He guaranteed prestige to Brazilian diplomacy for the way he conducted the negotiations that resulted in Resolution 181.
It brought Brazilian and US diplomacy closer together.
He worked in the pacification of South America in the context of the Chaco War, etc.
Image credits
[1]FGV CPDOC
Sources
ABDALA, Vitor. Find out why Oswaldo Aranha is honored in squares and streets in Israel. Available in: https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/internacional/noticia/2023-10/saiba-quem-foi-oswaldo-aranha
CORREIA, Salatiel Soares. The story of Oswaldo Aranha, a politician who was decisive in the creation of Israel. Available in: https://www.jornalopcao.com.br/ultimas-noticias/a-historia-de-oswaldo-aranha-politico-que-foi-decisivo-para-a-criacao-de-israel-540815/
MOREIRA, Regina da Luz. Oswaldo Aranha. Available in: https://cpdoc.fgv.br/sites/default/files/verbetes/primeira-republica/ARANHA,%20Oswaldo.pdf
VEIGA, Edison. Who was Oswaldo Aranha, the Brazilian who helped create the State of Israel. Available in: https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/articles/c0wxwr76er1o
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biografia/oswaldo-aranha.htm